Carmen - OperaUpClose

Went to see revisionist OperaUpClose "Carmen" again -- it still irritates me :-(

My companion's response -- "But this is the first time I've seen a production that gives Carmen a reason to leave him; otherwise she comes across as heartless" -- just validates my point: Carmen *is* heartless. The whole point of the plot is that she is a free spirit, she does what she likes. Bashing José (via some major changes in the lyrics) to make Carmen into a battered girlfriend who gets slapped around on a regular basis runs clean counter to the music, to the author's intent, and to the characters' integrity. And as a result it comes across as pushing a political point at the expense of the opera.

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